Deployment 2021-22 booking season begins

[geoff2802]

49 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

If there’s no international travel, I can’t see Australia filling 3 ships with it’s domestic market.

 

And they sent quantum to Brisbane??

 

I imagine they’re assuming reduced capacity on all ships deployed to Australia for the 2021/22 season.   Instead of running Radiance at full capacity they can run Quantum at half capacity (or a bit more).  
Of more relevance is that Brisbane has built the infrastructure to handle Oasis class.  To homeport an Oasis a few years from now, they need to grow the market aggressively.  

I also think that Royal is expressing their disappointment that NSW deferred Botany Bay.  
 

[Missusdubbya]

6 hours ago, MichellePerth said:

 

Brisbane is also a complete hole.  

 

6 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

There’s some nice old buildings in downtown Brisbane but it’s 40 minutes drive from the port which is a muddy industrial port.

 

It’s GOT ALL THE CHARM OF A FATAL CAR SMASH.

What lovely manners you both have 😁

Some of the 2.28 million people who live in Brisbane must like it.

 

I love it and have lived here for 15 years.

[springaussie]

7 hours ago, Ashland said:

Why would it need a dry dock before it could come here ?

General Maintenance.

More for mechanical reason then updating passenger areas.

 

[banzaii]

37 minutes ago, Missusdubbya said:

 

What lovely manners you both have 😁

Some of the 2.28 million people who live in Brisbane must like it.

 

I love it and have lived here for 15 years.

I will make 1 point in relation to Luggage Point in Brisbane - home of the new cruise passenger terminal.  Luggage Point

 

Not quite the prime location that Sydney OPT  offers! 😜

[geoff2802]

8 hours ago, springaussie said:

If Royal was putting Navigator on West Coast USA cruises it would probably have to do a dry dock first. I realise Navigator has been in dry dock not too long ago but there is nowhere near Los Angeles that can do Voyager ships. 
Europe or Singapore would probably be the place. 

Hey springaussie, Navigator’s 2019 dry dock was done in Freeport I believe.  

[cublet]

8 hours ago, MichellePerth said:

 

Brisbane is also a complete hole.  

Hello,

 

I lived (and worked) there for a year (on the corner of George and Margaret) and absolutely loved it.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

Edited October 24, 2020 by cublet
additional info

[BecAus]

1 hour ago, Missusdubbya said:

Some of the 2.28 million people who live in Brisbane must like it.

 

 

Yes, I thought 'hole' was a bit harsh but everyone is entitled to their own opinion I guess.

It would definitely be rude to someone from Brisbane.  Some people probably think the same of our home port in Fremantle, certainly the cruise terminal is not very attractive.

We cruised out of Brisbane on Legend in 2015 and quite liked the area, it suited our needs.

We then did a quick 2 day Movieworld/Dreamworld stopover before flying home.  That was enough for us, it was NYE so pretty busy.

 

Our NZ Quantum got cancelled.  Other options from Sydney weren't great, we were pretty limited on when we could go.  I've ended up booking Quantum out of Brisbane for a 9n Great Barrier Reef cruise and I'm pretty happy with the decision.   Sailing 29 Dec so we'll be on for NYE.

I wasn't too happy RCI weren't prepared to price protect but we've ended up with a $$ I can live with for three of us in a GS.

 

I gather it will be out of the new cruise terminal which looks to be ~ 15mins from the airport so the location seems pretty good.  Not sure if we'll stay on after the cruise at all, it will depend on work.

 

I'm pretty happy with the decision - fingers crossed we'll be sailing by then!

[banzaii]

Sailing into Sydney OPT

 

[MichellePerth]

46 minutes ago, banzaii said:

Sailing into Sydney OPT

 

Ditto but Brisbane 

[MichellePerth]

42 minutes ago, banzaii said:

Sailing into Sydney OPT

 

Ditto but Brisbane 

[twangster]

3 hours ago, banzaii said:

Not quite the prime location that Sydney OPT  offers! 😜

 

Very few cruise ports offer what Sydney does but Sydney does scale well does it? Most cruise terminals around the world piggyback on deepwater cargo facilities.

 

In fact aren't they thinking of building something to replace OPT which quite frankly doesn't work very well due to it's small size hence the need to keep cruisers standing in the rain until their appointment time has arrived.  

 

However I will concede that the OPT is a wonderful cruise terminal for the small ship experience of yesteryear.   

[Esahuma]

15 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

If there’s no international travel, I can’t see Australia filling 3 ships with it’s domestic market.

 

And they sent quantum to Brisbane??

 

 

Australia is completely closed to international travel until mid - if not late 2021

 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALA - In a further blow to the travel industry, Australia is warning its international borders are likely to stay closed because of COVID-19 restrictions until “late next year.” Foreign nationals were banned in March to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, and Australian citizens must get official permission to leave the country.

 

Australia to remain closed for another year

Australia’s treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has this week stated the government’s expectation that Australia will remain closed to most until late 2021:

“International travel, including by tourists and international students, is assumed to remain largely closed off until late next year and then gradually return over time. And a vaccine to be available around the end of 2021 is one of the assumptions in the budget.”

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, Esahuma said:

Yeh our prime minister said the other day ,don’t expect to travel overseas at least the end of next year

[Missusdubbya]

10 hours ago, banzaii said:

I will make 1 point in relation to Luggage Point in Brisbane - home of the new cruise passenger terminal.  Luggage Point

 

Not quite the prime location that Sydney OPT  offers! 😜

Agree definitely. 
 

However, the current (old) Brisbane Cruise Terminal is very nice. It is upriver in Hamilton, quite close to the city as below. Legend of the Seas, P&O ships etc could use it as they were able to turn around in the river.

 

Larger ships currently have to port out much further - the container docks shown earlier by Michelle as they are too long to turn around in the river.

 

We generally don’t sail much from Australian ports, however we are looking forward to the new Brisbane Cruise Terminal being built, as it will greatly increase the types of ships homeporting here. 

[Chiliburn]

3 minutes ago, Missusdubbya said:

If they build a new cruise terminal in Botany Bay Sydney it’s going to be pretty ugly.

[Esahuma]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

Yeh our prime minister said the other day ,don’t expect to travel overseas at least the end of next year

😞 sad face - love visiting Australia and NZ - so now this will be another cruise canceled - that will be 9 in 2020 and 3 in 2021 😞  

 

[Rassa]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

If they build a new cruise terminal in Botany Bay Sydney it’s going to be pretty ugly.

 

I take it though you will still see the Opera House and the Bridge (and the home of the PM) before turning into Botany Bay and catching a plane or two flying over the ship.      Very, very few ports compare to Sydney OPT, possibly only Venice.    But its a different entrance to Botany Bay I just realised.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Rassa
mistake

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

2 minutes ago, Rassa said:

 

I take it though you will still see the Opera House and the Bridge (and the home of the PM) before turning into Botany Bay and catching a plane or two flying over the ship.      Very, very few ports compare to Sydney OPT, possibly only Venice.   

 

Add New York City to the short list. Sailing by the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazzano Narrows bridge along the Manhattan skyline are true highlights.

[Chiliburn]

8 minutes ago, Rassa said:

 

I take it though you will still see the Opera House and the Bridge (and the home of the PM) before turning into Botany Bay and catching a plane or two flying over the ship.      Very, very few ports compare to Sydney OPT, possibly only Venice.    But its a different entrance to Botany Bay I just realised.

Yes it’s a different port ,Sydney harbour is port Jackson.

It hasn’t had a final decision and it’s been put on hold.

There’s 2 options Botany or a navy base called Garden island,which everyone wants as it’s just near the opera house. But the navy won’t move.

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, Esahuma said:

😞 sad face - love visiting Australia and NZ - so now this will be another cruise canceled - that will be 9 in 2020 and 3 in 2021 😞  

 

Can relate, almost same but reversed with 3 canceled in 2020 and 9 in 2021...so far

[geoff2802]

Serenade’s 2021/22 season in Sydney is a bit short.  She leaves Sydney on Feb 27, 2022 bound for Singapore, presumably to dry dock there.  Last dry dock was in 2017.   Presumably, she will go from there to Alaska via Japan.  

[geoff2802]

5 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

If they build a new cruise terminal in Botany Bay Sydney it’s going to be pretty ugly.

And I reckon it won’t be operating before about 2030.  Sydney will be severely constrained for the best part of 10 years, initially by reduced ship capacity and then for the same reasons it was already constrained (one ship per day at OPT, impractical to turn around Oasis size ship). 
Brisbane will probably have two berths capable of handling Oasis size by then.  

[Chiliburn]

8 minutes ago, geoff2802 said:

And I reckon it won’t be operating before about 2030.  Sydney will be severely constrained for the best part of 10 years, initially by reduced ship capacity and then for the same reasons it was already constrained (one ship per day at OPT, impractical to turn around Oasis size ship). 
Brisbane will probably have two berths capable of handling Oasis size by then.  

Hayes dock ,port Botany was proposed as a temporary thing.

 It has the legislation to operate straight away. 
Processing passengers would have to be done off site ???

[geoff2802]

20 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Hayes dock ,port Botany was proposed as a temporary thing.

 It has the legislation to operate straight away. 
Processing passengers would have to be done off site ???

Perhaps for a port call, but it would be a poor experience.  
I can’t see any cruise lines using it for turnarounds.  
 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

We booked Radiance 10/1/21 Panama Canal as soon as it was released. We did not get a balcony discount and were told it's because there's another promotion. Our TA asked to have it fared w/o the promotion and was denied. The Invoice shows Extra Savings of $75pp.....which is considerable less than the Balcony Discount would be on a 14 nt cruise. I know 2 others who were able to get it refared w/the Balc. Discount and wondered anyone else has booked this itinerary and what their experience was with pricing. Our TA is one to go to bat for you so I know he's tried.